Jean Edward SmithFDR

I forget why I chose Jean Edward Smith's biography over the Pulitzer finalist by H. R. Brands. But I did and I was not dissatisfied. Over the last few years I have read David McCullough's JOHN ADAMS, Ron Chernow's WASHINGTON, Martin Gilbert's CHURCHILL, and John Toland's ADOLF HITLER. To my reading accomplishments, I can now add Smith's FDR. They were all easy, informative reads about prominent historical persons.The prose in those books is never stilted or pedantic, or even scholarly. But you should have some college under your belt before you tackle them. Or you should have been at least a good English student in high school. A veteran reader of history will have no trouble. With a degree in political science and a minor in history, I did not have any difficulty. They were not quick reads, but they levitated my plateau of experience. Indeed I look forward to similar books, like Brands's TR and Smith's GRANT.From FDR I learned that after 1916, Eleanor and Franklin were for practical purposes not married. After discovering Franklin's liaison with Lucy Rutherford, Eleanor was ready to say good-by. After all, she bore the proud surname "Roosevelt" even before she married (she was a niece of Theodore). But after negotiations and thinking, she decided to remain legally married. She was liberal minded, she was kind, and she did not want Franklin's political career ruined by a scandal of divorce.In short, FDR's remarkable qualities are its easy prose, its extraordinary tidbits of information, and its avoidance of boring commentary. Photos are plentiful, footnotes and bibliography are more than plentiful, and the index is excellent. Maps are missing.Recently I have been discouraged by fiction. Though I keep trying it. Too many authors are flippant, breezy, lazy, and unconvincing to the point of exasperation. Fortunately there is good nonfiction to fall back on. Like this one.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt should be every American’s hero. It is ridiculous that some people want to condemn him as a Socialist. He saved America. He saved Capitalism! Without his candidacy, real Socialists would have taken over. Roosevelt was an absolute genius. FDR had a vision that few others had. He was not a prisoner of the past. He did not fear to make bold moves. If something needed to be done, he did it. That was his genius. Many of us think of Roosevelt in terms of the New Deal and World War Two. However this book gives us an enticing view of the full depth and breadth of his life. Quite frankly, he was born privileged but did not turn into a selfish twit. He made mistakes when he was young, but we all do that. There are many things we do when we’re young that we later come to regret. I know that applies to me too. Nature Conservation appears to have been an early passion for him. While Naval Under Secretary (or whatever it was called) FDR’s frequent contact with the Naval Unions created in him a sympathy for those not born with a silver spoon in their mouth. I found the story of the Warm Springs spa especially heart-warming . The hardships of the local farmers also made an impression upon him. The story of Eleanor Roosevelt is equally touching; she was an incredibly gifted woman as well. Even during his Governorship he was concerned with countering the horrors of the Great Depression. I like that he considered his efforts to not be charity, instead they were “Social Duty”. From his 1932 acceptance speech: “I warn those nominal Democrats who squint at the future with their faces turned to the past, and who feel no responsibility to the demands of the new time, that they are out of step with their Party. Ours must be a party of liberal thought, of planned action, of enlightened international outlook, and the greatest good to the greatest number of our citizens.” I also repudiate the accusation of “Court Packing”. The number of Justices had changed over the years. It is natural for this to happen from time-to-time. I have nothing but disgust for the members of Congress who made an issue of this. By abandoning the New Deal they hurt millions of people. There could not be a greater advertisement for hiring the handicapped than the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt!

A great book about a great President.Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a fascinating life."I'm pledged to no man, I'm influenced by no special interests."--FDR

This is a long book, but it is a surprisingly easy read and full of interesting detail about the life of FD Roosevelt. I had been interested in this key US president both because of his often forgotten (in the UK) contribution to the war effort and the remarkable impact of the 'New Deal' in 1930s America that turned the country around following the depression. It is also a good way to get into the complexity of US politics. For anyone interested in this period of US history, this is a great read.

The most interesting fact about Jean Edward Smith's FDR is the thorough and complete picture made of a complex individual. Born with such wealth he didn't have to work a day in his life, he nonetheless choose to become a politician. This politician whom everything had come so easily, who had so much in commun with the upper class nevertheless was the savior of the farmers, workers, and middle-class people of America during the depression.The New Deal saved millions from hunger, despair. Single handedly, by sheer force of will and the upmost confidence in himself, he took innovative and risky steps to help the US recover. Electrification of rural regions, education and sound banking policies were the basis of FDR plan.You'll also benefit of the author view about what went on before Pearl Harbor. What did the administration knew? Did FDR deliberately let it happen?Those questions finds answer in the book.However, the only drawback, if you can even call it that is that the relations between FRD, Churchill and "Uncle Joe" Stalin should have been deepen, As the book ended, I wish I had more.

Good biography

Excellent livre très détaillé (un peu trop de noms cités) et qui explique clairement le rôle joué par FDR pour transformer ce pays en un état moderne, démocratique et puissant avec un sens très réaliste de la conduite des affaires politiques.